Model and fashion influencer Rahi Chadda talks to us about his life of glamour, endorsements and being featured in Forbes.
Everybody loves fashion, but not everyone pulls it off well. Fashion comes naturally to some while some try their best to keep up with it. People strive to make it big but only some manage to concur the world of glamour and make a name for themselves. With his impeccable style and finesse, Rahi Chadda has created his own storm in fashion. Modelling his way into the world of glitz and glamour, Rahi has created his own following coming all the way from London, the Middle East and his own home country, India.
Born and raised in the Old Smoke or London, Rahi has walked for famous brands while elegantly modeling for them. Even though he's now counted among some of the well-known supermodels of the world, he ended up becoming one by total accident. Some of his pictures from a photo shoot that he did for a friend as a favor went viral across the British Asian fashion community in London and that's how he became a supermodel. Since then, he has walked for top brands and fashion weeks. Apart from gracefully carrying all the designer couture, Rahi has been featured on the covers of Harper’s Bazaar, Grazia Pakistan, Elle India, L’Officiel Arabia and features in Vogue India, GQ, and Cosmopolitan India.
Over the last two years, Rahi has worked with luxury fashion and beauty brands including Louis Vuitton, Estee Lauder, Chopard, Viktor and Rolf and BVLGARI. When Rahi has a minute spare, he spends it at his East London based skin-clinic Panache and Marina. Chadda is the first brown male ambassador for Dior Beauty, and have collaborated with luxury brands like Gucci, Armani, Fendi, Prada, and more.
How did your journey in fashion begin and how has it been so far?
I used to be a model for several years but always really enjoyed the whole content aspect of my work, not just taking photos but also the social media side, and how I can create content that helped me build and grow an audience and establish an engaging relationship with them. During the last couple of years, we have witnessed a significant rise in digital and that provided creators with an opportunity to work with brands as digital influencers. I love working with my content team and coming up with different concepts which stand out. Recently we did a shoot for the new Dior Lingot bag, and I conceptualized it with an Ariel/trapeze theme.
What is that one rule or philosophy that you live by?
You have to be super authentic no matter what you do!
How do you think culture influences fashion? Especially since you are based in London and the Middle East as well.
I always say fashion has a universal language. But the culture, of course, plays a massive influence on fashion. Different cultures have particular niches of fashion that meet certain goals or objectives. Fashion and culture go hand-in-hand. Fashion is a way to express ourselves through clothing and accessories and a lot of time our fashion and style are influenced by the culture and people around us who we admire/influenced by.
What are the common mistakes in fashion that you have learnt in your journey so far?
Navigating your career as a whole is just one big journey, no matter which industry you’re a part of. It’s filled with lessons, blessings, and lots of learning curves which is crucial to just keep evolving.
You belong to an industry of glitters and glamour. What is that one thing from the industry that people have less knowledge about?
A common misconception could be that it’s always so glamorous, behind the scenes a lot of hard work, late nights, and effort goes on. The BTS of our work is not very glamorous!
You were featured in Forbes India 30 under 30. Can you tell us what it means to you and what was your reaction?
It was an amazing achievement and a moment of celebration. For Forbes India to also feature someone from fashion for the first time was a fulfilling experience. I was very grateful and hopefully, this is the start for opening doors to a new generation of creatives to feel inspired and pursue their dreams in industries that don’t fit that stereotype idea of academia.
One takeaway from the pandemic and how has it affected or influenced you as a person?
The pandemic taught us all so much. Overall for me, it made me value and appreciate my family and loved ones so much more. Also having to create content on my own was a big learning curve, as we were left to our own devices. It made me a lot more self-sufficient and allowed me to take a step back and re-evaluate what’s most important to me and rethink my priorities.
If you're a fashion lover too, then do check out all the amazing work that Rahi shares on his Instagram.
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